Improvement in sounding-boards for pianos



A. H. WOOD. Sounding-Board for Pianos.

No. 214,226. PatentedApril 8,1879.

WITNESgES: INVENTOR:

h w Z /f/Z%WM ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. FHOTO-LITHQGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, a C- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT H. WOOD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN SOUNDlNG-BOARDS FOR PIANOS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 214,226, dated April 8, 1879; application filed February 20, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. W'ooD, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sounding-Boards for Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

Figure v1 is a plan view of my improved sounding-board. Fig. 2 is a section of the same, taken through the line as m, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to furnish a sounding-board for upright and other pianos which shall be so constructed that there shall be no waste or escape of vibrations, the said vibrations being controlled and utilized and reutilized until they cease from natural laws.

The invention consists in a sounding-board having a strip of wood or other vibration-conductingmaterial abutting against and attached to its edge all around, and surrounded with a strip of rubber or other non-conductor of vibrations, and in a sounding-board having a strip of wood or other vibration-conducting material abutting against and attached to its edge all around, surrounded with a strip of rubber or other non-conductor of vibrations, and having its bridge or bridges extended at both ends to overlap the vibration-condncting rim, as hereinafter fully described.

A represents the body of the sounding-board, to the edge of which all around are secured strips B, of wood or other vibration-conducting material, of the same thickness as the said board A.

WVith this construction the vibrations of the sounding-board A will be conducted entirely around the said board by the rim B, re-enforcing the spent vibrations, and charging the grains of the wood that have not been set into vibrating motion with active force and vibratory motion.

The rim B is entirely surrounded with a strip, 0, of rubber or other suitable non-conductor of vibrations, to keep the vibrations within the sounding-board until they cease by their own exhaustion, thus prolonging the sound, and, in connection with the rim B, lDJ- parting a greater equality of duration of sound to each tone, and increasing the power, con tinnity, compactness, and singing quality throughout the entire register or scale to an extent hitherto unattained.

This construction also prevents the soundin g-board A from splitting, the rubber strip 0 yielding as the wood expands, and following up the shrinkage or contraction, so as to pre serve the tension of the sounding-board intact.

D represents one of the bridges, which are so extended at both ends as to overlap the rim B, and thus help to distribute the vibrations to all parts of the sounding-board, and assist materially in increasing the duration and vol ume of sound and the equality, sympathetic compactness, and singing quality of tone.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent- 1. A sounding-board, A, having a strip, B, of wood or other vibration-conducting mate rial abutting against and attached to its edge all around, and surrounded with a strip, 0, of rubber or other non-conductor of vibrations, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. A sounding-board, A, having a strip, B, of wood or other vibration-conducting material abutting against and attached to its edge all around, surrounded with a strip, 0, of rubber or other non-conductor of vibrations, and having its bridge or bridges D extended at both ends to overlap the vibration-conducting rim B, substantially as herein shown and de scribed.

' ALBERT H. WOOD. Witnesses:

J AMES T. GRAHAM G SEDewIoK. 

